Lost and Found
by suzie2b
Summary: Charley Williams goes missing during a mission and her father wants the Rat Patrol to find her.


**Disclaimer:** _ **The Rat Patrol**_ **is not my property. They come out to play sometimes, then I send them home.**

 **Author's note: This is for vintage55. Thanks for the idea.**

 **Lost and Found**

 **By Suzie2b**

 **The Rat Patrol had returned to base at Ras Tanura to receive their latest mission. Troy knocked on the office door and opened it when Captain Boggs said, "Come in."**

 **The four man unit entered and saluted as Troy said, "Reporting as ordered, sir."**

 **Their attention went to a colonel that was standing at the window. Captain Boggs said, "You remember Colonel Williams, men."**

 **They saluted and Troy said, "Yes, sir. The last we heard you were in France."**

 **Colonel Williams returned the salute. "I was until I got a call from the Captain here. I'll cut to the chaste, men. Charley is missing and I want you to go find her."**

" **When did she go missing, sir?"**

 **Captain Boggs said, "It's been a week now. She went out with a convoy to Qatif. They radioed that they were under attack by an armored German column. The only one that wasn't among the dead was Charley. We were sure she'd been taken prisoner, but we didn't know to where … until we got word from one of our Arab operatives that an American nurse was seen at the German stronghold at Khobar with Captain Dietrich."**

 **Moffitt said, "Khobar is about fifty miles behind enemy lines."**

" **Yes, and that stronghold is commanded by a Colonel Franke."**

 **Tully asked, "Why do you think this 'nurse' is Charley, sir?"**

 **Boggs replied, "She was the only woman in that convoy and it was carrying medical supplies. It would make sense that she wouldn't want the Germans to know she's a courier. When she was described to me … well, it couldn't be anyone else."**

 **Troy asked, "What do we know about Colonel Franke, sir?**

 **Colonel Williams' face darkened with anger as he answered, "He's a vicious man, sergeant. He likes to treat prisoners as if they're his personal slaves. Torture is his middle name. It kills me to think of my daughter in that place."**

" **Well, we'll do everything we can to get Charley out of there, sir."**

 **###################**

 **That evening when they were relaxing in the room they shared, Hitch sat on his bunk and watched Tully reading for a few minutes before he said, "You feeling okay, Tully?"**

 **He didn't look at his friend. "I'm fine … why?"**

" **You've been real quiet since that meeting with Captain Boggs and Colonel Williams. And you hardly ate a thing at dinner."**

 **Tully shrugged, "Wasn't hungry is all."**

 **Hitch had a feeling he knew what was bothering his fellow private. "We're all worried about Charley."**

 **Tully sighed and looked at Hitch. "The last time I saw her was a week ago. We had dinner together in the mess hall the night before she left for Qatif. She was her usual happy and talkative self. Excited about going out on another mission."**

 **Hitch could tell Tully had more to say. "And…"**

 **Tully put the magazine aside. "It started a few months ago. I don't know … something happened."**

 **Hitch smiled, "She doesn't remind you of your sister anymore, does she?"**

 **Tully's face reddened slightly and he grinned.**

" **There's nothing wrong with that. It's hard out here. It's nice to have someone special to look forward to seeing."**

 **Tully's smile faded.**

 **Hitch thought for a second, then said, "You haven't told Charley how you feel, have you?"**

" **I wanted to be sure of my feelings before I said anything. I was hoping to get a chance to talk to her in between assignments, but now…"**

" **Hey, don't talk like that! That Arab operative said she was alive in Khobar. There's no reason we won't be able to get her out."**

 **Tully nodded. "Yeah, you're right. I guess I'm over thinking the situation."**

 **###################**

 **Troy, Moffitt, Hitch, and Tully drove to Khobar without incident. The stronghold loomed larger than it ought to in the dark. They were gathered around a set of hand drawn plans on the hood of one of the jeeps.**

 **Hitch held the flashlight and asked in a hushed voice, "How're we getting in?"**

 **Troy pointed to a spot with a pencil. "Here. According to that operative there's no guard posted on this back wall at night."**

 **Moffitt said, "Once we get over the wall we're to follow a path around and passed the barracks…" He put a finger on the plans. "Here. We should be able to get into headquarters at that point."**

 **Tully asked, "Any idea where Charley would be held? It's a pretty big place."**

" **Our Arab operative said there are rooms in a cellar used to lock up prisoners. The stairs are around the corner from Colonel Franke's office."**

 **Hitch said, "So all we have to do is find the colonel's office. Do we have a clue where that is?"**

 **Troy replied, "Going through the front door it's down the hall, second door on the left, then around the corner to the stairs. Only we're going in the backway, so we'll get to the stairs first." He looked at his watch. "Okay, let's go."**

 **They made their way quickly and quietly to the back of the stronghold. Using grappling hooks they climbed the wall, then used a stairway to go down to ground level. They found the path as it was mapped out in the plans and carefully skirted the courtyard and barracks. Moffitt picked the door lock and they were in.**

 **The hallway they entered into was lit by lights on one wall. As Troy, Moffitt, Hitch, and Tully walked, they could hear voices coming from a few of the rooms they passed. Around one corner and then another, Troy followed the directions he had memorized until they came to the stairway they were looking for.**

 **Silently they went down the steps into the cellar. There was no guard on duty. They checked the four rooms, but didn't find Charley.**

 **Tully felt a moment of panic and thought, "Where else would they put her?"**

 **As he and Hitch exited a room they found themselves face to face with several armed German guards. Troy and Moffitt had guns trained on them as well. The four of them were placed in a room and the door locked behind them.**

 **###################**

 **Troy, Moffitt, Hitch, and Tully spent the rest of the night in a cramped room with only two bunks.**

 **It was mid-morning before they heard keys in the door. A guard entered and told them, "Kommen Sie mit uns mit. Oberst Franke will, sie zu sehen."**

 **Moffitt stood up and said, "Colonel Franke wants a meeting with us."**

 **Troy, Hitch, and Tully followed Moffitt out the door where they were surrounded by a total of six armed guards.**

 **When they were left in Colonel Franke's office, only one guard remained inside. The colonel looked up from his paperwork and said, "Good morning. Did you have a good night?"**

 **Troy sneered, "Just peachy."**

" **I would like to know what you were doing skulking around my building in the middle of the night."**

" **Obviously we were looking for something."**

" **And what would that be, sergeant?"**

 **Before Troy could make up an answer there was a knock at the door.**

 **Colonel Franke told the guard to open the door, and in walked Charley carrying a tray of coffee and fruit. The colonel smiled and said, "Ah … it is my favorite Welpen here with my mid-morning snack." Charley kept her eyes down as she walked across the room and set the tray on the colonel's desk. "Now straighten up those files and books, Welpen."**

 **Charley stepped around the desk and behind the Colonel. She turned to get a glimpse of who was in the office and was shocked to see Troy, Moffitt, Hitch, and Tully.**

 **Seeing her black eye and bruised cheek, Troy growled, "I see you like to beat up on women."**

" **Oh, that…" Colonel Franke snickered. "This Welpen has been a little hard to train."**

 **Charley spied the bust of Hitler on the end of the table and picked it up. She said angrily, "How many times do I have to say it? I'm not your puppy!" Then she swung the heavy statue and connected with the back of Franke's head. The colonel slumped forward onto the desk. Charley dropped the bust and said, "At least Captain Dietrich was a gentleman."**

 **Hitch saw the guard's machine gun shift and grabbed it before it went off, then used it to quickly knock him out.**

 **Tully moved around the desk and grabbed Charley's hand. "Come on. Time to get outta here."**

 **Charley pulled back. "Not yet." She ran to a closet and pulled the door open.**

 **As she started digging through its contents, Troy took the machine gun from Hitch and said with quiet impatience, "We need to get moving!"**

 **Tully went to Charley. "What are you doing?"**

 **Charley said, "I'm not leaving without it!" She came out with her satchel and smiled triumphantly. "Got it."**

 **Tully rolled his eyes, grabbed her hand, and followed the others out of the office.**

 **They had just left the building when the alarms went off. Following the same path they had followed into the building, they made their way around and up the stairs onto the wall. However, there were two guards stationed there this time. Troy shot them both before they knew he was there. But now they had a bigger problem—the grappling hooks were gone.**

 **After a quick search, a coil of rope was located in a corner. Tully tied it off as Troy dropped the coil over the wall. Hitch went down the rope first, then Moffitt.**

 **Tully turned to Charley. "Okay, your turn."**

 **Charley looked down and shook her head. "I can't…"**

 **Troy said, "You have to. It's our only way out."**

 **Tully whispered close to her ear, "You can do it, Charley. I'll be right behind you."**

 **She turned her head and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thank you." Then she swung her legs over the wall, took a deep breath, and grabbed the rope.**

 **As she climbed down, Troy looked at Tully with raised eyebrows. The private shrugged and gave him a slight smile. Then bullets began to ricochet off the stone wall around them.**

 **As they ducked down, Tully felt a burning sensation and looked at his left arm. Troy saw the blood and Tully said, "It's just a nick, sarge."**

 **Troy asked, "Can you climb?"**

" **Like I have a choice?"**

" **Get going." Troy held up the machine gun. "I'll cover you."**

 **As soon as Troy stood up and started firing, Tully went over the wall and down the rope. Troy was right behind him.**

 **Unfortunately, about half way down someone on the wall cut the rope. Troy and Tully fell the last ten feet. Luckily they were able to tuck and roll, so they weren't hurt.**

 **Moffitt pulled Troy to his feet as bullets started to hit the ground. "We'd better get to the jeeps before they get organized and come after us!" He looked at the blood on Tully's arm. "You all right?"**

 **Tully nodded. "Let's go!"**

 **Hitch had taken Charley and ran as soon as she touched the ground. She had never run so fast in her life. When they reached the jeeps, Hitch and Charley pulled the camouflage covers off. They had just stuffed them into the back of each vehicle when they saw Troy, Moffitt and Tully running towards them.**

 **Charley looked at the front gate as it began to open. "They're coming!"**

 **Hitch said, "Get in the jeep!"**

 **Charley got into the one closest to her and started the engine as Hitch jumped into the other and did the same. As Tully ran up, Charley crawled across into the passenger seat and Moffitt got into the back.**

 **Troy got into the back of Hitch's jeep and yelled, "Let's shake it!"**

 **###################**

 **The Germans tried to catch up to the two jeeps, but it was a futile attempt. It was soon decided that it wasn't worth the chase.**

 **About half way back to their lines, Troy had Hitch and Tully pull into a tree covered area they knew had a well. "We'll take a break here. I'll call HQ and let them know we're coming home with Charley." He looked at Hitch. "Make sure we're full on water."**

" **Right, sarge."**

 **Moffitt looked at Tully's arm. "We'd better clean that up."**

 **Upon hearing Moffitt's words Charley hurried around the jeep. "What happened?"**

 **Tully shrugged. "It's just a nick. Nothing bad."**

 **Moffitt reached into the jeep for the med kit as Charley unbuttoned Tully's shirt and helped him get his arm out of the sleeve. She frowned at the small, but ugly wound. "Well, it's bad enough, but I don't think it needs stitches." She took the med kit from Moffitt and pointed at the jeep. "Sit, Tully. I'll have that cleaned up in a jiffy."**

 **Moffitt stared at her with raised eyebrows. "All right then … I'll just go help Hitch with the water." He smiled as he walked away.**

 **Trying to make conversation, Tully said, "You hesitated on that wall, but climbed down like a pro. What happened?"**

 **Charley soaked a gauze square with alcohol. "Afraid of heights."**

" **After doing that are you still afraid?"**

 **She looked at him and smiled. "I'll let you know the next time I have to climb a wall." Charley gently cleaned the wound. "You know, Tully … I've been wanting to talk to you about something."**

 **Tully wished he had a matchstick. "Oh? What did you want to talk about?"**

 **Charley took another piece of gauze and placed it over the wound, then began to wrap a dressing around his arm as she chewed her bottom lip.**

 **Tully frowned with concern. "Hey, what's wrong?" She wouldn't look at him. "Tell me."**

 **Charley reached for the medical tape, then looked at him. "I wanted to talk to you about … us."**

 **Tully was stunned into silence.**

 **Seeing the look on his face Charley looked away as she tore off several pieces of tape to finish off the dressing. "Um … I'm sorry. I was hoping maybe…"**

 **Tully finally smiled, "No … I'm just surprised is all." He put a finger under her chin so she would look at him. "I've been wanting to talk to you too."**

 **A smile lit Charley's face and Tully brushed her lips with a kiss. For that moment there was no war.**

 **###################**

 **They arrived at base without mishap and went straight to Captain Boggs' office. They walked in and as the soldiers saluted, Charley went to her father.**

 **Colonel Williams engulfed his daughter in a hug. "Thank God you're back." Charley kissed his cheek, but he didn't say anything about it this one time. The colonel looked at her worriedly. "Are you all right? We should have a doctor look at those bruises."**

 **Charley smiled. "No, dad. I'm fine."**

 **Captain Boggs said, "Sergeant Troy, I see you have an injured man. It would be a good idea if both Miss Williams and Private Pettigrew went to medical."**

 **Tully glanced at his arm. "It's just a scratch, sir."**

" **No arguments, private."**

 **Tully sighed, "Yes, sir."**

 **Boggs again looked at Troy. "I want a full report from both you and Miss Williams before the end of the day tomorrow."**

 **Troy nodded, "You'll have it, sir."**

 **Charley said, "No problem, sir." She opened her satchel and took a sealed envelope out. She placed it on the captain's desk. "Since they thought I was a nurse, they didn't bother to search me."**

 **Captain Boggs glanced at the envelope, then looked at Charley. "Thank you, Miss Williams. Then he pointed at Charley and Tully. "All right, get these two to medical."**

 **As they all walked out the door, Captain Boggs heard Charley say, "Really dad. I'm okay." And then Tully said, "I don't need to see a doctor, sarge. I'm fine."**

 **The captain could only chuckle and shake his head as the door clicked shut.**


End file.
